Royal Fortune

Royal Fortune, formerly known as Nosso Senhor da Compreensão, was a 52-gun man o' war that was used by the pirate Bartholomew Roberts as his flagship during the Golden Age of Piracy. The ship formerly belonged to the Portuguese Navy, and Roberts and Edward Kenway captured the ship off the coast of Mexico in September 1719. Roberts took the ship as a prize, and he converted it into a powerful flagship for his fleet. From 1719 to 1720, he preyed on Portuguese ships off Brazil, the northern coast of South America, and in the Caribbean Sea; from 1720 to 1721, he raided Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Saint Lucia (capturing 15 French and British ships off St. Lucia from 25 to 28 October 1721), and taking two French ships off West Africa. In January 1722, the British Royal Navy hunted Roberts down, and HMS Swallow engaged Royal Fortune in a battle off Principe. Roberts was hit in the neck by grapeshot and killed, and his crew buried him at sea according to his wishes. The battle continued until the mainmast fell two hours later, and 65 of the 272 captured pirates were sold into slavery, while 52 were hanged and two reprieved.